1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for transporting and processing microelectronic substrates, such as but not limited to semiconductor substrates, employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for transporting and processing, with reduced physical damage, microelectronic substrates, such as but not limited to semiconductor substrates, employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integral to the fabrication of microelectronic fabrications of various varieties, and in particular to the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrications, is the use of substrate cassettes. Within the fabrication of microelectronic fabrications, substrate cassettes are generally employed for purposes of storing, transporting or processing grouped quantities of microelectronic substrates. More particularly with respect to the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrications, semiconductor substrate cassettes are employed which are generally sized to receive within twenty-five slots fabricated and spaced within a semiconductor substrate cassette up to twenty-five semiconductor substrates spaced within the semiconductor substrate cassette, for purposes of storing, transporting or processing the up to twenty-five semiconductor substrates spaced within the semiconductor substrate cassette.
While substrate cassettes are thus desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication and often essential in the art of microelectronic fabrication, substrate cassettes are, in particular within the context of their use for transportation and processing of substrates employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications, nonetheless not entirely without problems in the art of microelectronic fabrication.
In that regard, it is often observed in the art of microelectronic fabrication, for microelectronic substrates that are transported or processed within substrate cassettes employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications, that the microelectronic substrates are physically damaged incident to their transport or processing within the substrate cassettes. As a particular example, and without limitation, it is often observed in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication that semiconductor substrates that are spin-dry processed within a semiconductor substrate cassette are physically damaged or broken incident to spin-dry processing of the semiconductor substrates within the semiconductor substrate cassette.
It is thus desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication, and in particular in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication, to provide apparatus and methods wherein microelectronic substrates when transported or processed within substrate cassettes employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications may be transported or processed with reduced physical damage.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
Various methods and apparatus have been disclosed in the art of microelectronic fabrication for transporting and processing, with desirable properties, microelectronic substrates employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications.
For example, Parodi et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,823, discloses a multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus and a method for operation of the multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus, wherein, among other features, the multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus is designed such as to avoid operator fatigue when operating the multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus. To realize the foregoing object, the multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus employs, in part, a robotic transfer means for transferring microelectronic substrates between various processing stations within the multi-station microelectronic fabrication photolithographic processing apparatus.
In addition, Fossey et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,971, discloses a semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus that may be employed for transferring, when fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit microelectronic fabrication, a semiconductor substrate with, among other features, reduced semiconductor substrate physical damage. To realize the foregoing object, the semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus is a robotic semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus that comprises a semiconductor substrate transfer paddle which in turn further comprises: (1) a pair of semiconductor substrate edge grippers for gripping and transferring a semiconductor substrate by its edge, rather than its face; in conjunction with (2) a pair of non-contact sensors that provide proximity information with respect to a semiconductor substrate within a semiconductor substrate cassette.
Desirable in the art of microelectronic fabrication are additional apparatus and methods that may be employed for transporting and processing, with reduced physical damage, microelectronic substrates employed for fabricating microelectronic fabrications.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for transporting or processing a microelectronic substrate and a method for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or a method in accord with the first object of the present invention, wherein the apparatus or the method provides that the microelectronic substrate is transported or processed with reduced physical damage.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or a method in accord with the first object of the present invention and the second object of the present invention, wherein the apparatus is readily constructed and the method is readily commercially implemented.
In accord with the objects of the present invention, there is provided by the present invention an apparatus for transporting or processing a microelectronic substrate and a method for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate.
With respect to the apparatus for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate, the apparatus comprises in a first instance a base plate having defined therein a location for receiving a substrate cassette. The apparatus also comprises a substrate retainer movably attached to the base plate such that when a substrate cassette having a substrate contained therein is positioned on the base plate at the location for receiving the substrate cassette, and the substrate is subjected to a mechanical force, the substrate retainer moves such as to retain the substrate within the substrate cassette with a retaining force.
The apparatus for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate contemplates a method for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate which in turn employs the apparatus for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate.
The present invention provides an apparatus for transporting or processing a microelectronic substrate and a method for transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate, wherein when transporting or processing the microelectronic substrate while employing the apparatus and the method, the microelectronic substrate experiences reduced physical damage. The present invention realizes the foregoing object by employing within the context of an apparatus for transporting or processing a microelectronic substrate, in a first instance, a base plate having defined therein a location for receiving a substrate cassette. Similarly, the apparatus also comprises a substrate retainer movably attached to the base plate such that when a substrate cassette having a substrate contained therein is positioned on the base plate at the location for receiving the substrate cassette, and the substrate is subjected to a mechanical force, the substrate retainer moves such as to retain the substrate within the substrate cassette with a retaining force.
The apparatus of the present invention is readily fabricated and the method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented. As will be illustrated within the context of the Description of the Preferred Embodiment which follows, the apparatus of the present invention may be fabricated employing components as are otherwise generally available in the art of microelectronic fabrication apparatus fabrication. Similarly, and as will also be illustrated within the context of the Description of the Preferred Embodiment which follows, the apparatus of the present invention may be readily employed within at least a microelectronic substrate spin-dry apparatus and a microelectronic substrate spin-dry method. Thus, the apparatus of the present invention is readily fabricated and the method of the present invention is readily commercially implemented.